In the years since the worst economic recession of the 21st century, several industries have shown resilience. Foremost of these is automotive. Not only have global sales reached a record high in 2016, but the operating margins are growing quickly as well. According to research presented by Capital IQ, average operating margins for the top 100 automotive market suppliers were able to jump above pre-recession levels by 2010, just a year from their record low.

Adopted in the late 1990s, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) consists of codes set up by the U.S. Census Bureau to separate manufacturers by sectors, subsectors, and industries. Most companies are familiar with this system at a high level, as it’s used by the government to collect, assess, and distribute data about manufacturing in 5-6 year cycles.

However, if analyzed properly, NAICS codes can be far more important than simple identifiers used for federal purposes – in fact, they can play an active role in your company’s long-term strategy.

With generous funding from The Cleveland Foundation, WIRE-Net is entering a third year of collaboration with MAGNET on the Accelerate Cleveland Manufacturing (ACM) initiative to provide Cleveland companies with training, consultation, or peer-learning groups in an effort to boost economic growth and job creation, one plant at a time.

At WIRE-Net, Manufacturing Matters, because, as we like to put it, manufacturing multiplies, manufacturing pays, exports, and innovates.

What we mean by this is that every manufacturing job is the foundation for up to 5 additional jobs in other industry sectors, the highest employment multiplier of any industry. Manufacturing pays 17% more in wages than other sectors. 52% of U.S. exports are in the manufacturing sector. Finally, 75% of private sector research and development comes from the manufacturing sector, helping ensure that American manufacturing remains on the cutting edge of new products and technologies.

Many manufacturers are challenged with articulating a unique value proposition for their companies. And, as I discovered at WIRE-Net’s Growth Workshop last Friday, many manufacturers believe that the only thing that sets them apart from the competition is Price.

Last night I was thrilled to be joined by 120 friends from our manufacturing community to kick-off our 2016 Accelerate Cleveland Manufacturing year. Attendees enjoyed Cleveland Whiskey’s award winning bourbon and signature cocktail: A Winter Night in Cleveland at the offices of Boondock Walker in MidTown.

Every company leader has questions about how to develop and improve their workforce, but many aren’t sure what those questions are. Northeast Ohio manufacturers face a common yet multifaceted problem of hiring and retaining quality talent for the long-term.